Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems.
By way of example, a wireless multiple-access communication system may include a number of base stations, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, otherwise known as user equipments (UEs). A base station may communicate with one or more UEs on downlink channels (e.g., for transmissions from a base station to a UE) and uplink channels (e.g., for transmissions from a UE to a base station).
In recent years, advent of dynamically capable UEs has spurn growth for peripheral devices (e.g., smart watches, activity trackers, smart glasses, etc.) that expand the functionality and portability of the UEs. Such peripheral devices that are mostly “wearable devices” are generally equipped with short-range communication chips, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. Accordingly, a peripheral device may communicate with the UE that is positioned only within a short range. For example, a user wearing a smartwatch may only utilize the full capabilities of the smartwatch (e.g., voice call, text messages, access internet, etc.) while the smartwatch and the UE are in close proximity to each other. However, conventional systems that are configured based on the short-range communication chips do not allow the user to continue using such network dependent functionalities when one device (e.g., UE or peripheral) is outside the coverage area of the short-range communication chip. One such instance may be if the user leaves his mobile device at home with only his wearable watch).
One solution that has been proposed to address the above problem includes configuring the peripheral device with both a short-range communication chip (e.g., Bluetooth module) as well as a wireless wide area network (WWAN) radio that may allow the peripheral device to communicate with the network independent of the UE. However, such configuration require the peripheral device to additionally include subscriber information module (SIM) chip such that the peripheral device may be authenticated by the network and assigned a unique phone number. Such a solution is not ideal because of the hardware considerations and user inconvenience. For example, first, the added hardware increases the size and costs of the peripheral device itself. Second, with a unique phone number for a peripheral device that is different from the phone number for the UE, a user may need to manage two separate subscriptions. Additionally, both incoming/outgoing calls would need to be made to/from a separate phone number. For example, a party attempting to reach the user would need to first call the mobile device, and then separately call the peripheral device (e.g., wearable watch). The inconvenience and costs associated with such solution far outweigh any benefit that may be gained.